Page 83 - Purple Butterfly 1

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The writer got the idea since he translated many French fairy tales. He did this so well that he was asked if he would write some himself. He sent the first part to a friend who edited a Roman newspaper, wanting to know if they would be interested in publishing what he called “this bit of foolishness” in the children’s section. The editor liked it, and the children liked it even more, and the rest is history.
The story is a bit different that the one most people will remember. Yes, there is a woodcarver named Geppetto, living in a small Italian village, who feels lonely and carves a puppet and calls it Pinocchio (a popular name in Florence during that time), but that’s where the similarities end. The reason Pinocchio is alive isn’t because of the Blue Fairy, who comes in much later in the story, but because he was carved out of an enchanted piece of talking wood that Geppetto’s neighbor had found in the forest. And almost as soon as Pinocchio is finished, he runs away, and is caught by a Carabinieri, which is the Italian police. Other differences are that instead of listening to the
talking cricket that serves as his conscience, he kills it instead. The puppet master, though originally planning to use him as firewood, lets him go instead of imprisoning him for profit, and actually gives him five gold coins that he is supposed to give to Geppetto. He burns his feet off by accident when he falls asleep next to a stove. The Cat and Fox, disguised as bandits, hang Pinocchio, though a Fairy saves him, and it is only then that his nose begins to grow when he lies. He is also sent to jail. All in all, there are many differences between both stories, the original Pinocchio not being as sweet and kind as the Disney one. The main theme of both stories however, stays the same. Pinocchio makes bad decisions, has to pay the consequences, and, with time and a lot of help from people who love him, matures and becomes a better and smarter person, and in the end, a real one as well.
Illustration by Carlo Chiostri (1911). http://www.made-in-italy.com
What made this story so special, besides the great plot and interesting characters? The time it was written. During Lorenzini’s life (the 19th century), there were very few books written specifically for children. This story, with its style and content, was something completely different from anything else that had been published before. It was one of the very first real children’s books. And that’s why a story written in 1883 is still important, and even better known, now.
First edition publicity of The Adventures of Pinocchio, 14 de febrero de 1883.
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